Traffic Area Offices

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what contingency plans he has in place to amend the traffic area boundaries in the event of Parliament not approving secondary legislation; [33292]

(2) if the Government's proposals to close the traffic area offices in Manchester and Cardiff can proceed before the secondary legislation to amend the traffic area boundaries has been approved by Parliament. [33292]

There is nothing in legislation which requires the Secretary of State for Transport to provide an office in each traffic area, so the approval of new boundaries by Parliament is not necessary before the closure of offices. We would seek to make whatever arrangements for dealing with the work were most efficient. We will be consulting the Council on Tribunals.